The present invention relates to the employment of trivalent copper, i.e., Cu(III) compounds, as bactericidal and algicidal agents in water treatment. The instant inventor has been involved over the past years in searching out new compounds which are anti pathogenic and which can be utilized for water treatment. The inventor's efforts have concentrated upon multivalent silver compounds. To date seven patents have been granted to the inventor in this area as follows: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,017,295; 5,073,382; 5,078,902; 5,089,275; 5,098,582; 5,211,855; and 5,223,149. The last patent deals with the efficacy of trivalent silver in water treatment and is entitled TRIVALENT SILVER WATER TREATMENT COMPOSITIONS. Said invention deals with trivalent silver compounds which are very effective as bactericides, bacteriostats, algistats and algicides. Having completed his research in this area, it occurred to the inventor that it may be possible that trivalent copper compounds could also exhibit this behavior. However, such a conclusion was not obvious.
The reason that such a conclusion was not obvious was that it would be entirely possible that Cu(III) compounds could not necessarily be expected to exhibit all or some of the behavior of Ag(III) compounds of an anti-pathogenic nature.
Accordingly, it was decided to investigate the possibility. The reason why such an investigation was undertaken was that if it were ascertained that there was anti-pathogenic efficacy with Cu(III) compounds, then it could be entirely possible that said compounds would offer an economic advantage on a cost effective basis if proven out, since copper is far less expensive than silver. The scientific literature was subsequently scrutinized in order to find suitable trivalent copper candidates for synthesis and subsequent tests and evaluations. Accordingly, trivalent Cu(III) compounds were selected from the literature for further study and subsequent synthesis. The inventor also synthesized other Cu(III) compounds not found in the literature of his own creation. After having accomplished the synthesis of several of these trivalent Cu compounds, those meeting certain criteria, e.g. highest yields were submitted for testing and evaluation as potential bactericides, bacteriostats, algicides and algistats. However, it was not enough that these compounds kill and inhibit the growth of both bacteria and algae, but it is also necessary that said compounds perform the function within a specific time frame as demanded by US Federal standards in conformity with protocols of the Environmental Protection Agency as engendered and defined by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for utilitarian bodies of water of which swimming pools is exemplary.
The evaluations of the Cu(III) compositions proved highly successful. Furthermore, while it is known that divalent copper compounds exhibit useful algicidal and algistatic properties, no copper (II) compound is known to be active as a bacteriostat or bactericide at copper concentrations below 10 PPM, let alone to exhibit said characteristics at any concentration in conformity with the aforementioned specifications defined in the CFR. Accordingly, this invention perfected copper (III) compounds for all these functions and offered the previously outlined economic advantages over the inventor's Ag(III) compounds.